Spring 2010

Randy Pausch's Son Rallies for Pancreatic Cancer Research

Dylan Pausch, the oldest son of late Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, was on Capitol Hill yesterday to gain support for pancreatic cancer research. His visit came just a few short years after his father visited the Hill to "put a human face on the disease."

Alumna's Paintings Appear in Two Hollywood Films

Joana Ricou, a 2005 graduate of the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science and the Arts (BSA) Program at Carnegie Mellon University, has her artwork featured in two Hollywood films this year, "Love and Other Drugs" and "She's Out of My League."

"Love & Other Drugs," which will be released in November, stars Jake Gyllenhall and Anne Hathaway. Hathaway plays a woman with Parkinson's disease who used to be an artist. Ricou's paintings are cast in the movie as Hathaway's artwork. "She's Out of My League" is a romantic comedy that was released this past March. Several shots were filmed in the local SUGAR Boutique in Lawrenceville, where Ricou's paintings are featured on the walls.

Ricou's work currently explores two different themes: finding deeper truths in private moments, and exploring the intersection of biology and art. Her work has been exhibited extensively in Pittsburgh, at sites including the Carnegie Science Center, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, and the National Aviary. Her work is also featured in private collections across the United States and in Portugal. Ricou's artwork was selected for the cover of an issue of the magazine Neuroscience in 2005. She moved from Lisboa, Portugal, to Pittsburgh in 2000 to study art and biology, and is now living in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The BSA program is part of Carnegie Mellon's Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (BXA), which also includes a Bachelor of Humanities and Arts (BHA) and Bachelor of Computer Science and Arts (BCSA). Since their creation, enrollment in BXA programs has grown to more than 100 students.

Pictured above: Ricou's artwork sits in the center of a movie set in Pittsburgh.

LEEDing the Way

Aurora L. Sharrard (E'04, '07), director of innovation for the Green Building Alliance, will present Carnegie Mellon with a Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) plaque for the recently renovated Porter Hall 100 (Gregg Hall) at noon, Monday, May 24 in the 217-seat auditorium. The "green" renovation project, completed in summer 2008, included the transformation of Gregg Hall, the creation of a 3,200-square-foot second floor above the auditorium, and the restoration of the building exterior and windows outside the lecture hall. The new space above the auditorium houses the Information Systems Program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (H&SS).

Student Speaker Shares Message of Keeping Things Interesting

Artist and graduating student Leslie McAhren enjoys creative challenges and celebrates the finding extraordinary in the ordinary. As the student speaker at Carnegie Mellon's 113th commencement ceremony, McAhren celebrated her master's degree in fine arts by discussing extraordinary creative people in her speech, "You, Me and Lifelong Ascent."

"Lifelong ascent is a matter of keeping things interesting ... for yourself. Changing it up. Keeping it fresh," McAhren said in her speech. "Lifelong ascent is about leading our lives. Carnegie Mellon has been a wonderful Petri dish: warm in all the right places."

She also touched on the theme of the polymath — someone who is an expert in several fields of study.

"The interesting thing about polymaths is that they seek and generate endless connections across human achievement," McAhren said. "For them, and here at Carnegie Mellon, disciplines know no boundaries. Instead of being annoyed by continuous change, we welcome it. Polymath brains can sense the tectonic shift that precedes a paradigm shift."